Briar Rose
by snarkysweetness
Summary: Aurora, Mulan, and Phillip arrive in Storybrooke and reunite with their friends and Aurora gets a surprise.


**Title:** Briar Rose  
**Author: **snarkysweetness  
**Rating:** PG  
**Characters: **Aurora, Snow, Mulan, Phillip, Emma, Charming, Henry, August, & Briar Rose; Aurora/Mulan/Phillip, Snow/Charming, & Emma/August  
**Summary:** Aurora, Mulan, and Phillip arrive in Storybrooke and reunite with their friends and Aurora gets a surprise.  
**Warnings:** An overabundance of fluff.  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.  
**Author's Notes:** This is all Annie's fault. She prompted Aurora in Storybrooke with her mother being there and I lack self-control. I also haven't written Aurora P.O.V. before so I hopefully I didn't do too horribly with it. Enjoy your damn cheesy fluff, Annie!

"Aurora!"

Snow pulled her into a bone-crushing hug and Aurora hugged her back tightly, fighting off tears. She and Mulan had accepted long ago that they would probably never see Snow or Emma ever again. Yet through sheer dumb luck the portal they'd use to escape the land of the Wraiths had brought them to Storybrooke, not to their land. While Aurora missed her home she knew that there was nothing to go back to. At least here she had her friends, Mulan, and Phillip.

Aurora drew away from Snow and wiped at her eyes as Snow moved to give Mulan a motherly hug. She felt Phillip's hand on her back and she brushed him off. She didn't need him to soothe her; she could take care of herself.

"Emma," she greeted, giving her a short but firm embrace.

"There's someone you need to meet."

Emma moved to the side to reveal young Henry who threw his arms around Aurora's middle.

She laughed and leaned down to be at his level.

"Well, it's nice to see you outside of the inferno," she teased with a smile.

"You're prettier in person."

Aurora blushed as a dark-haired man picked Henry up before depositing him next to his mother.

"Watch out, kid, you're too young to be a Casanova."

"I don't know; all of the girls in his class didn't seem to mind."

Aurora threw her arms around the second man, recognizing him from her dreams. As horrible as they'd been at the beginning they'd gotten better once she found a way to communicate with the two men who shared them with her.

"Charming!"

"Hey, 'Rora." He hugged her back before motioning towards the dark-haired man. Emma seemed to realize she'd forgotten her manners and took his hand before shoving him forward.

"This is August. He's my…person," Emma said after a moment of contemplation. Aurora didn't understand the strange customs in this land but she recognized love when she saw it. She took his hand and greeted him, wondering if that meant she had two people? She'd have to ask Snow about that later.

"Phillip this um…everyone. Phillip's my…and this is Mulan, she's my…" She frowned. She'd gone about this the wrong way. She shook off her embarrassment and cleared her throat. "This is Phillip and Mulan." She introduced Phillip to everyone while Mulan introduced herself to the people she didn't know. Once they finished their small reunion Emma suggested something called 'Pizza' and that they move the 'party' inside. Aurora decided not to ask questions and to follow her lead; there would be plenty of time to become acquainted with Storybrooke and their new home.

She allowed Phillip to hold her against his side as they walked and she kept one hand in Mulan's. A chill came over her. As much as she'd loved this dress she was ready to burn it and trade it for warmer and more comfortable clothing.

"Aurora?"

Her heart clenched and she froze. She knew that voice. It was the same voice that had sung her lullabies as a child and given her comfort after a bad dream. It was also a voice she had never expected to hear again for she believed the owner had died long ago.

She released Mulan's hand and turned to find her standing across the road looking just the way she remembered her. She hadn't aged a day. And she was very much alive.

"Mum?"

Aurora abandoned her friends and ran for her mother, flinging herself at the older woman. Briar Rose clutched Aurora against her chest and ran her fingers through her hair while shushing her. Aurora wept and held onto her mother for dear life.

"I thought you'd died! Phillip told me father was gone and no one had seen you since before the-"

"Hush, my darling. It'll take a lot more than a jealous fairy, an assassin, and a curse to take me away from you."

Aurora broke away from her mother and sniffled as she looked her over, fully expecting to wake up and discover that this was all a dream. Her mother brushed a stray tear off of her cheek and Aurora's heart felt as though it would burst out of her chest. She hugged her mother again and ignored everything going on around her.

The Sleeping Beauty had sacrificed her life to protect the people she loved and she finally had them back and then some. It wasn't the happily ever after she had in mind but she'd take it.


End file.
